Co-operative working - the DIY way forward for journalists?

Could it work? A co-operative working agreement between freelance journalists in a corner of Britain dominated by media monopolies?
Well, that's an idea the National Union of Journalists' Swansea and District branch have started to explore.
The aim would be to create work for freelance and out-of-work branch members in an area covering Port Talbot to Aberystwyth. It's a big ask - but if we don't try who else will?
The recession means lost jobs in the traditional media and fewer freelance opportunities. However, it also creates opportunities. There’s a demand for news and information so why don’t we – the experts - supply it and make a fair living from it? Could we run a grassroots-up network using agreed union rates? Could we complement the big boys of the patch - Northcliffe, Newsquest and the BBC?
The first move is a series of three exploratory meetings to gather the thoughts of members - the first was on June 25 in the Uplands Diner, Uplands, Swansea.
The second is from 7-8pm on July 1 at Costa Coffee, Penllergaer Services, on the M4; number three is from 1-2pm on July 9 in the cafe at Swansea's Dylan Thomas Centre.
Feedback will then be circulated to members who, with help from co-op experts, will decide on a way forward.
That Uplands meeting heard there was a UK-wide support network for co-ops – see www.cooperatives-uk.coop, www.wales.coop - with much expertise to call upon. Individual support and encouragement has been indicated by co-ops with similar skill-sets - Alpha Communication (www.alpha.coop, Durham) and The Very People (www.theverypeople.co.uk, Scotland)
The biggest journalism-based co-op seems to be Associated Press, a global news agency serving multi-media platforms. Could we go down the news agency route with multi-media offerings?
Other media co-ops, the Uplands Diner gathering was told, include the New Internationalist (a London-based social affairs mag) and Wisconsin’s 70-year-old weekly Inter-County Leader newspaper (7,000 circulation75 payroll).
No Welsh journalism-based co-ops have been found and advertising professionals say revenue generation is tough but winnable with right product in right market … and with much groundwork.
One ploy, of course is that rather than starting an enterprise from scratch, we buy-out a company, run it along co-op lines and develop new-media lines. Any available?
The UN, incidentally, has placed its support firmly behind co-ops; indeed, July 4 is International Day of Cooperatives. Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon urging greater government and consumer support for co-ops.
So are there opportunities to fill gaps left by established media? Can we offer news from fresh sources, not relying on PR? Could we encourage freelances to develop new sources?
Could we work as an agency – offering a news service, information provision, training opportunities? Could we embrace help/assistance from various quarters such as start-up agencies, training bodies and business funders?
The co-op model chosen will be crucial: how would the shareholder system operate; would charity status be required; how would a possible board run the co-op (and would it require representatives from other community interests?); or perhaps a member-run organisation would be the most applicable.
Is ‘special interest’ journalism is the way forward? Is special local issue-based journalism the way forward - for example, the environment. Immediacy is important, so could we test the water with e-newsletter carrying grassroots local news?
Is there a gap in the local market for traditional local news reporting such as crime, council and court? Can we plug the gap? There's a quarterly community newsletter in North Gower - The People’s Estuary - which suggests a market for local news. It has attracted Assembly finding and volunteer help. Warning 1: The Swansea Standard local paper launched a few years ago but it was sunk when the South Wales Evening Post dropped ad rates. Warning 2: The cost of print media is high – so should we look to first create a web-based product?
Hey - you tell us! Come to a meeting or reply to the blog.